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Buckingham Palace sword attack: Uber driver accused of injuring police officers denies terror offences

Mohiussunnath Chowdhury, 26, pleads not guilty to preparing an act of terrorism

Lizzie Dearden
Home Affairs Correspondent
Monday 15 January 2018 10:58 EST
Police officers stand guard at a police cordon next to Buckingham Palace following an incident on 25 August
Police officers stand guard at a police cordon next to Buckingham Palace following an incident on 25 August (AFP)

An Uber driver who allegedly injured police officers with a sword outside Buckingham Palace has denied terror offences.

Mohiussunnath Chowdhury, 26, pleaded not guilty to a charge of preparing to commit an act of terrorism on or before the incident on 25 August.

Justice Cheema-Grubb remanded him in custody ahead of a trial in June.

Mr Chowdhury, a British citizen of Bangladeshi descent from Luton, was appearing at the Old Bailey via video link from HMP Belmarsh.

He is accused of being behind the wheel of a car that drove towards a police van in a protected area next to the Queen Victoria Memorial, in Constitution Hill.

After officers approached the vehicle, the driver allegedly reached for a large sword and shouted “Allahu Akbar” several times.

Three officers were injured in the struggle, when the suspect was subdued using CS spray.

The incident came amid heightened security around sensitive sights in London in the wake of the terror attacks in Westminster, Manchester, London Bridge and Finsbury Park.

Additional reporting by PA

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